CEI Daily Update

Issues in the News

1. ENVIRONMENT

British non-profit group Oxfam claims natural disasters around the world have quadrupled due to global warming.

CEI Expert Available to Comment: Senior Fellow Marlo Lewis on claims that global warming has created more destructive hurricanes:

“Roger Pielke, Jr. of the University of Colorado finds that once hurricane damage is normalized for changes in population, wealth, and the consumer price index, there is no long-term change in hurricane damage—evidence against the hypothesis that hurricanes are becoming more destructive.”

2. LEGAL

The Supreme Court takes on the most significant gun rights case in decades.

CEI Expert Available to Comment: Special Projects Counsel Hans Bader on the legal background to the suit:

“The District of Columbia is currently defending Washington, D.C.’s gun ban before the Supreme Court in District of Columbia v. Heller. It argues that the Second Amendment merely protects state and local governments’ collective right to arm a militia against federal interference, not an individual right to bear arms. But it turns out that the District of Columbia’s own ‘constitution’ contains a provision in its Bill of Rights identical to the Second Amendment in its language.”

3. CONGRESS

Senators consider expanding the powers of the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

CEI Expert Available to Comment: Adjunct Scholar Fran Smith on the problems with the bill:

“In the wake of reports of unsafe imported products, including children’s toys, this bill would unleash the power of state attorneys general, set up certification systems for children’s products that will increase their costs and may lead to substitution of less safe products, and encourage disgruntled employees to get back at their manufacturer employers.”

Blog feature: For more news and analysis, updated throughout the day, visit CEI’s blog, Open Market.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

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